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January 2025

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“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future”

Yogi Berra

At around this time last year I was following my usual custom of looking ahead to the coming year and outlining – in a post to this journal – the plans and projections that we were making therefore.

When I first sat down to write that post my mind was still clouded by the chaos that we, personally, had endured during 2023. At one point – towards the end of that year – we thought that 2024 would inevitably be a quiet year, with little travel or other like extravagance – and that a period of retrenchment was probably called for.

As it turned out – and as can be determined from this recent post (What just happened?) – the year was full of activity both on the travel front (our splendid trip to Scotland) – on the work front (particularly for The Girl at her First Nation) and with regard to our creative efforts (a new Anam Danu album and an unexpected pantomiming!). Perhaps the only area in which we felt that the year had not lived up to expectation was that we did not get to do as much socializing as we would have liked. The poor summer weather contributed considerably to this less than ideal state of affairs.

Though our 2024 turned out to be better than anticipated, for the rest of the world it could well be argued that the year took a dramatically retrograde turn. We are, naturally, not immune to these external pressures and it may prove – as a result – that 2025 turns out to be the quiet – heads-down – dig-in – sort of year that we might have expected last time around.

These things, however, we are anticipating:

  • A week in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, during the College’s reading week in February. Right now The Girl and I both need to feel some sun on our shoulders
  • Some overdue maintenance on our lovely home. We need a new hot water tank; the roof needs to be de-mossed; I am contemplating putting underfloor heating in my studio and we are long overdue in making a start on dealing with some of the clutter that seems to accumulate through modern living
  • We are hoping to host some visitors this year – which is always fun when it also turns into a holiday for us
  • The will be music-making – no doubt – and I may serve a turn on the executive of the Peninsula Players (who presented the pantomime with which I was lately involved
  • We will definitely aim to entertain in our garden just as much as the weather allows

 

On a side note – I observe that this blog has just passed 1200 posts – this being number 1201. At the same time the blog has also just reached its thirteenth anniversary. Happy Birthday!

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Are you one of those good people who find themselves mildly annoyed (or even a little nauseous!) when long-term couples regale all and sundry with overly eager descriptions of their togetherness – their single-mindedness – their soul-matedness – their inability not to finish each others…

…sandwiches! (joke courtesy of The Simpsons – May 1st 2005).

Should that be the case my advice would be to skip this post and go on to the next one (though you may need to wait a day or two for that one to appear).

This post is about one of those incidents. You have been warned…

A couple of weeks back I went into our local town – Sidney by the Sea – to purchase some comestibles. I suggested to The Girl before departing that – should anything that we had overlooked in our list-making occur to her whilst I was out – she should text or phone me to let me know. This is pretty much par for the course these days for us ‘old’ folks.

As I entered Sidney I recalled that I was in need of a particular dietary supplement. Since I would be passing close to a local health shop it would make sense to stop there and to purchase said item before continuing. This I duly did.

Whilst in the health food store I thought I had better have a scout around in case anything else occurred to me as being a missing essential. I came to a stop in front of the Golden Flax Seeds. Now, because I assist The Girl in the preparation of her daily smoothie I was aware that she was running short of this particular ingredient. Should I just get her some – or should I call her to check?

I chose the latter course (this is not my first rodeo!).

To my surprise The Girl did not pick up the phone. Hmmm! The best laid plans, etc. What to do?

I decided to send her a text. I opened the messaging app so to do only to discover that a new text message had just arrived… from her! It read, simply:

”Golden Flax Seed!”

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…with friends – on a cold but sunny day at Island View Beach.

Enjoy!

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson Reid

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By ‘just‘, of course, I mean ‘over the last year‘ – this being my customary catch-up-at-year’s-end posting…

My post of last January 26th – entitled “Getting started” – contained the following good intentions for 2024: (progress reports in red!)

  • The pursuance of an extended visit to Scotland during April/May – including a stay in Edinburgh – a visit to the central highlands (whence originated my clan) – a sojourn on Orkney and another on Skye – and visits to Fort William and Oban on the west coast

…a glance back at the posts to this forum of April, May and June will furnish the gentle reader with all that he or she might wish to know about our splendid visit to the land of my forefathers

  • Continuance for my of teaching at the College – starting with a new course that I was busy preparing at the time of writing

…on this very day I have started teaching the new course again for the third time – now as a blended course. It would be good if the Chair of my department were to acknowledge the fact by arranging for me to be sent a contract!

  • Following the shortest ever retirement (minus two days!) The Girl was about to commence a new employ, the details of which I was not at that point at liberty to reveal

…as I write The Girl is a few weeks short of completing a year’s contract working for her First Nation, helping to set up a new family preservation service. The year has been both rewarding and difficult, not least because of the extensive amount of travel that she has been obliged to undertake (visiting previously un-experienced corners of British Columbia and beyond). She was offered a full-time post and promotion but has decided – for now – to revisit the world of retirement. For how long remains to be seen…

  • Planned further musical exploration on the part of Anam Danu  – with a view to expanding our number and preparing – at some point – to play live. We also anticipated the release of a new album at some point during 2024.

…now a three-piece (though presently looking to add a guitarist!) Anam Danu released their fourth album – “Euphoria” to considerable acclaim at the end of November. More on these exciting times as the year progresses

  • I also included this, slightly nervous, prediction:

“As ever at this time of the year there are many other exciting prospects bubbling under and – though there are also many very good reasons to feel nervous about 2024 – I like to approach the year under an umbrella of optimism.”

…one thing that I had not anticipated was being asked to take on the musical direction for a local theatre company’s pantomime – either side of Christmas – at the Mary Winspear in Sidney. I do not like to say ‘no’ to such proposals – so I didn’t! As I believe that all concerned consider the run to have been a considerable success, I am glad that I did not.

So much for 2024.

Keep your eyes open for the companion posting to this one in which I will hazard wild guesses as to what the new year could bring – and indeed to those things that we will do our damnedest to bring about.

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